Officer in Review Order, c1825

This print by Heath was used for the other Dragoon Guard regiments as well as the 7th. The 1820s decade saw military uniforms reach the peak of showiness and impracticality. The tight-fitting coatee had a three and half inch high collar, laced around the edge, with a button loop in the middle. This hid most of the black velvet facing towards the front of the collar. The front of the coatee had a heavy covering of gold lace. Dragoon Guards had the 8 lace loops in pairs, dragoons had them evenly spaced. The cuffs had four button loops. On the shoulders the Dress Regulations of 1822 state that the aiguilette should hang from the right, with a gold cord shoulder strap on the left. The aiguilette is seen here but not the gold cord on the left. Only field officers had rank badges, sewn on the shoulder cords, a star for a major, a crown for a Lt-Col and a star and crown for a full colonel. Gauntlet gloves were not worn, only short white leather gloves. Around the waist was a girdle of gold and crimson stripes. The trousers were blue-grey cossacks with a gold lace stripe one and three quarters wide.
The helmet was the most impractical part of the uniform, described in the DR as 'Roman; black glazed skull and peak, encircled with richly gilt laurel leaves, rich gilt dead-wrought scales and lion's heads; bear-skin top.' The sabretache was a richly embroidered accoutrement suspended from a gold laced leather waist-belt two and a half inches wide. The pouch-belt over his left shoulder was two and a quarter inches wide with gold lace, buckle, tip and slide which could be seen on the back, along with the ornate pouch.

Regiment | Uniforms